


Tales of Strange Deaths (AU)

by KayleeArafinwiel



Category: TOLKIEN J. R. R. - Works & Related Fandoms, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. Tolkien, The Silmarillion and other histories of Middle-Earth - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: AU (Who Lives and Who Dies?), F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-02-19
Updated: 2016-03-17
Packaged: 2018-05-21 14:49:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 823
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6055567
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KayleeArafinwiel/pseuds/KayleeArafinwiel
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Written for the Back To Middle Earth Month 2012 "AU: Who Lives and Who Dies?" bingo card, for B2MEM 2016. These are tales of deaths that never happened in canon, thank Eru...and, occasionally, a life is spared.<br/>1. Whither Love Leads - "Frodo and Sam die on Mount Doom".  - Faramir's POV.<br/>2. Longing for Arnor - "Arathorn II never dies" - Gilraen and Estel have a talk.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Whither Love Leads

**Author's Note:**

> I disclaim a line from the Silmarillion, the Eagle's Song from LOTR, and a line of Faramir's from LOTR (recalled by him), which all belong to Tolkien. This AU will never be part of my main stories.

_“Go whither love leads you; yet beware!”_ So had Gwindor spoken in the old tales, and perhaps it was true, thought Faramir, son of Denethor, Steward of the White City. For love of his Master, the Halfling Samwise Gamgee had followed him to Mordor – to Mordor! – on an errand both dangerous and impossible to fulfill. He stood on the wall, overlooking the City, uncaring as the rain fell about him in the cheerless sky. It was true, there had come a great Eagle flying, and he bore tidings beyond hope from the Lords of the West, crying:

 

 _'Sing now ye people of Minas Anor_  
_for the realm of Sauron is ended for ever_  
_and the Dark Tower is thrown down._  
  
_Sing and rejoice, ye people of the Tower of Guard_  
_for your watch hath not been in vain,_  
_and the Black Gate is broken,_  
_and your King hath passed through,_  
_and he is victorious._  
  
_Sing and be glad, all ye children of the West_  
_for your King shall come again,_  
_and he shall dwell among you,_  
_all the days of your life._  
  
_And the Tree that was withered shall be renewed,_  
_and he shall plant it in the high places,_  
_and the City shall be blessed._  
  
_Sing all ye people!'_

 

The land of Mordor had, indeed, been thrown down. But at what cost? The people of the Tower of Anor rejoiced – in that much at least. But as Faramir stared East, tears mingled with the rain.

 _‘If ever beyond hope you return to the lands of the living and we re-tell our tales, sitting by a wall in the sun, laughing at old grief...’_ His farewell to Frodo haunted his thoughts. No, they would never do that now.

For while the Eagle had come to herald Lord Manwë’s tidings, a messenger had hurried from Elessar’s armies, and he had dire news indeed. It seemed the Great Eagles had quarreled over the honour of carrying the _Cormacolindor_ from the fires of the Black Lands, and some of their lesser cousins had taken the opportunity to push ahead in their place.

No one, even a prince of the blood of Dol Amroth, would call them the _Great Seagulls._

His fervent hope (and Faramir felt guilty for this for some time afterward) was that the Ringbearers had at least managed to pull the foolish birds in with them as they followed the loathsome Gollum to fiery doom.

The Dark Tower was ended for ever – but the celebration was far from cheerful, and when the King returned at last, he knew Aragorn would need all the help he could get to be assured of a welcome in the White City.

The trouble was – did _he_ even want Aragorn there anymore?

Faramir sighed and turned away. He would request assignment to Dol Amroth, he decided, as far from Mordor as possible – and take great pleasure in shooting every blasted seagull he could get his arrows into.


	2. Longing for Arnor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In Gilraen’s room, in Imladris, sometimes it’s easy to forget that Estel isn’t to know who he is. Gilraen can’t resist telling him a little bit about home. For G51, “Arathorn father of Aragorn never dies.” I decided he was poisoned by the arrow wound instead, rendered comatose, and all three of them were brought to Imladris for protection.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> In my Arnorverse (including, but not limited to “Isildurchil Dithen”), the Muse settled on using the “Iroquois kinship system” for the Northern Dúnedain. Parallel siblings of one’s mother and father (i.e. mother’s sister, father’s brother) are called ‘mother’ and ‘father’. Parallel cousins (children of parents’ parallel siblings – gender of cousin doesn’t matter) are treated as siblings. Only parents’ opposite-gendered siblings are ‘uncle’ and ‘aunt’, and their children are ‘cousins’. I may have to do some rewriting to reflect this, but hopefully it hasn’t been important enough before now to require serious revision.

"Nana?"  
  
Gilraen cradled Estel in her lap, rocking her little boy. "Yes, Estel?" Ever since he'd turned four, he was full of questions.  
  
"Do we have other family besides Ada, Ada Elrond, Dan, and Roh?"  
  
Gilraen ran her fingertips through Estel's hair and nodded. "Yes, we do. Perhaps we will visit them someday, but not until you are old enough to travel and it is safe."  
  
"Tell me?"  
  
"Well, there is your Nana Nessanie," Gilraen began, but Estel interrupted with a frown. "But you're Nana!"  
  
"Yes, my silly boy," Gilraen said with a rare laugh startled out of her. "Nessa is my sister. You can have more than one nana, my love - you have three edair as it is, for your ada has a little brother, though he must be barely more than a boy himself."  
  
Estel nodded, remembering. His born Ada was very ill, which is why they lived with Ada Elrond. "Oh. Yes." That made sense.  
"Your Nana Nessanie has a little girl, not much older than you are now. And then there are our brothers. We have three, younger than Nessa but older than me – and your Ada has three _sisters._ "  
  
Estel stared, wide-eyed. "You have _three_ , Nana! I only have two brothers!"  
  
"Ah, but you have many cousins – and Nessa's little girl will be your sister, when you meet again," Gilraen promised. “Perhaps we can persuade your Ada Targon to give you brothers.”  
  
"When will that be?" Estel rather thought a sister might be nice, and he wouldn’t mind little brothers, especially if he could teach them things like Dan and Roh taught him.  
  
"Sooner than you think."  
  
“Will Ada wake up before we go home?”  
  
Gilraen was spared from responding by Elladan calling “Estel!” Her little boy kissed her cheek and ran off to greet the twins. She sighed, mood darkening. Talk of home had only strengthened her desire to return.  
  
_I miss you, Arathorn. I miss everyone. Please, love, come back to me. For Estel’s sake._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Most of these characters aren't mentioned in this chapter, but they're important in my Arnorverse, which this is AU of ("Aragorn in the North" and "Isildurchil Dithen", mostly), so...
> 
> Arador, son of Argonui m. ?  
> 1\. Arathorn m. Gilraen  
> \- Aragorn (Estel)  
> 2\. Arneth m. Handoron (OCs)  
> \- Halbarad  
> \- Hallatan (OC)  
> 3\. Brennil m. Taithir (OCs)  
> \- Thalanir (OC)  
> 4\. Glasdes m. Herthedir (Gilraen's middle brother) (OCs)  
> \- Idhrenor (OC, Aragorn's double cousin)  
> 5\. Targon m. Morwen (OCs)
> 
>  
> 
> "Carangil" son of Argonui m. Firiel  
> (OCs)  
> 1\. Amdir m. Fanuilos  
> (OCs)  
> \- Silivren  
> (OC)  
> \- Gilwen  
> (OC)  
> \- Curunthor (OC)
> 
>  
> 
> Dirhael's Line
> 
> Dirhael m. Ivorwen  
> Nessanie (OC)  
> \- Meril (OC)  
> Rirostor (OC)  
> \- Eluchil (OC)  
> \- Saeros (OC)  
> Herthedir m. Glasdes (Arathorn's youngest sister)(OCs)  
> \- Idhrenor (OC)  
> Beren m. Dulinnis (Aelfgifu of Rohan) (OCs)  
> \- Tawien (OC)  
> \- Tonir (OC)  
> \- Drauchir (OC)  
> Gilraen m. Arathorn II  
> \- Aragorn II


End file.
